The roar you hear after every boundary hit or wicket taken in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) is virtual, compensating for the crowd that has not been allowed into the stadiums as a precautionary measure due to the pandemic. However, there are many who literally shout, cheer and get the adrenaline rush on every ball of the ongoing T20 cricket matches. They have money at stake and are running a dark network of betting on IPL matches with their setup of laptops, mobiles and registers to maintain records.

The Indian police in places like Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Goa, Delhi and the NCR has actively launched a crackdown on betting syndicates, arresting several men who were caught red-handed from small flats to resorts in India.